Tegumental surface changes in juvenile Fasciola hepatica in response to treatment in vivo with triclabendazole.

Eight indoor-reared crossbred sheep with no pre-exposure to Fasciola hepatica were infected, by oral gavage, with 200 metacercarial cysts of the triclabendazole (TCBZ)-susceptible Cullompton isolate of F. hepatica. Anthelmintic dosing occurred at 4 weeks post-infection with 10mg/kg triclabendazole. Two treated sheep were euthanized at 48h, 72h and 96h post-treatment with triclabendazole. Two control sheep were euthanized alongside the 48h triclabendazole-treated sheep. Juvenile flukes were recovered from each of the sheeps’ liver and processed for scanning electron microscopy (SEM).